RAF RELATED LEGENDS

The origin of a legend may be subject to conjecture, and often there are
several versions.

The following may be just the stories that I accept.

A UNIFORM COLOUR

When the RAF was formed in 1918 a colour for the uniform had to be chosen.
The Army had khaki associated with the land, and the Navy had dark blue
associated with the sea, which left azure associated with the sky.Obviously
light sky blue was not a serviceable colour from the point of view of appearing
to be clean and smart, so a shade a little nearer to grey was chosen, but still
remaining blue.

Shortly after its introduction, the rumour spread that the material had come
from an undelivered order to the Czarist Russian Army, since the Russian
revolution had taken place in 1917.The story was still being repeated in
the 1950's, but a historian I heard speaking on the radio later, said that there
was no truth in the statement, and it was just a rumour.

EAGLE or ALBATROSS?

There is occasional controversy over whether the badge that RAF other ranks
wear on each shoulder is an EAGLE or an ALBATROSS. Some decades ago I heard the
explanation given on the radio from someone who knew the facts, due to being
involved at the time.

The design requirement was for an EAGLE with wings spread, but it was not
cost-effective for the artist to observe actual eagles soaring, so he had to
resort to stuffed birds in a museum. Now taxidermists have their own stereotyped
ideas, and the mountain bird will usually be stuffed as though perched on its
eyrie, while the ocean bird will be mounted as though soaring over the sea. Thus
the artist used an albatross for the general pose, and an eagle for the details.

This is practical artistic convenience, and no different to a stand-in
wearing the Queen's dress for an artist to complete a portrait of Her Majesty.

The final illustration was that of an EAGLE.

THE "WHEEL" IN ROTATION

In days of yore, a fighting formation would be raised by a landowner
recruiting and equipping his tenants and workers.Their titles and badges
usually related to their home locality.

Later, units formed to employ special tactics with a particular weapon might
reflect this in their titles and badges, as with Lancers and Grenadiers.

The Royal Flying Corps followed this custom of relating to their new
aeronautical weapon, and incorporated propellers and bird wings into their
badges. Photos show Staff/Flight Sergeants wearing a four-bladed propeller above
their three stripes in place of the traditional crown. Since a brass propeller
is a bit spiky, it was surrounded by a circular frame, and thus it was commonly
referred to as a "wheel".

When the Royal Air Force was formed, the badge of rank reverted to three
stripes and crown, the wheels being returned to stores.

I surmise that when some identification was required
to mark boy trainees, the wheels came to light and were recycled.

Thus,
at the present time, the wheel is regarded as the distinguishing mark
of Boy Entrants and Apprentices.

A FISTFUL OF SPARKS

Airmen in signals-related trades wear an arm badge in the form of a fist
clenching zig-zags representing electric sparks. Originally it was worn high on
the right arm, but around 1951 it was relocated lower down to below any badge of
rank.

As I heard it, the badge was initially introduced to excuse signalers from
having to salute every time they took a message into the receiving officer.

In the early days, repair and operating could be carried out by the same
tradesman (Wireless Operator Mechanic), therefore mechanics qualified for the
badge in case they should do some operating. Some mechanics wore the badge even
though they never did any operating, and it became associated with all signal
trades.With the advent of radar under the guise of "RDF" it was
necessary that radar mechanics, called Radio Mechanics, wore the badge to
maintain the pretence that they were communications equipment craftsmen and
women.

The tradition continues.

"TWO — SIX"

When being called to join in providing manual labour for some purpose,
especially in handling aircraft,the cry of "Come on — two - six!"
is often used.The true origin of the numbers seems to be unknown.

One version goes that back in Nelson's time the members of the gun crews
were numbered, and that it was 2 and 6 who had to heave the cannon forward for
firing.

Another says that in early RFC or RAF regulations, clause 2.6 stated "All
airmen, regardless of trade or rank, shall assist in handling aircraft ."

The note on the origins of "Two Six" attracted my
attention. I first came across it when, back in the 1950's, I began to hear
the Chiefies bellowing for "volunteers" to push aircraft or to put a "willing"
shoulder to the hangar doors e.g. "On the doors ... two six!"
Naturally, I was intrigued by the phrase and began asking around about its
origins, and was told by a number of souls that it came from the French "Tout
suite"...,which, loosely translated, means "Everyone get yer finger
out!" — Jim Newman — 4M5/68th

Thank you for your comment Jim. I hadn't heard the
suggestion in this context before.I looked up the phrase to find that it is
"tout de suite" literally "all of continuation" translated
as "all at once".Usually it is misquoted as "toot sweet".

The RFC explanation sounds very plausible, but the RN claim
a much earlier use, although their explanation seems a bit too modern &
technical to me. I feel the old sailors would have used nautical words rather
than numbers.

However you set me thinking, and "two" sounds
like "tout" so could "six" sound like another French word?
The best I can find is "sis" meaning "situated", so "tout
sis" would literally be "all situated" meaning "everyone in
position" for teamwork. This could possibly take it back to the time of
Agincourt. I shall have to find a French speaker to check.

RDF

In the 1930's British [Chain Home] radar was developed under the reference
of "RDF". Fifty years later much memory searching and discussion has
failed to definitely ascertain from where the term came or what the "R"
stood for. At that time the word "wireless" was used in referring to
communications equipment.

By 1941 there were both Wireless Mechanics and Radio Mechanics
in the RAF, so the implication seems to be that the "R" stood for "Radio".
However, trainee radio mechanics were told that RDF stood forRe-radiation
Direction Finding, Range and Direction Finding, or Repetitive-pulse
Direction Finding,but it seems that these were inventions by instructors to
deal with student questions.

By 1943 the terms used had become "Wireless" [communication], and "Radar"
[search & navigation], with "Radio" embracing both Wireless and
Radar, but with radar tradesmen hiding behind the label "Radio".In
1945, Radar Mechanics became known as such.

Early in 2000, a comment was made that the "R" was simply a letter
chosen blindly at random, but it seems rather odd that if that was the case, "R"
for Radio wasn't rejected as being too near the truth.

My own analysis is that no formal decision was made.
Those associated with wireless direction finding — that is taking a bearing
on a transmitter — referred to it just as DF. Possibly some erks back
expanded it to "dee-effing."A radar boffin, unconnected
with established DF, probably referred to the new system as "Radio
Direction Finding" abbreviated to "RDF". Since the two terms were
very similar, but distinguishable, things just drifted on. Those in the know
would understand the distinction, while others assumed that the two descriptions
were alternatives.

The present ignorance shows just how secure the RDF title was.

RADAR STOPS ENGINE?

In 1939, I was approaching my tenth birthday, when our mother took my sister
and I on holiday to Faversham in Kent. We went with a neighbour and her two
children to stay with her old mother. Now granny had a lodger, a middle-aged
chap with a limp, who occupied himself growing vegetables on an allotment. I
remember him telling us all, how a lorry driver he met in the pub, had related
the following event.

It seems that his lorry engine had stopped near one of the sites enclosing
recently erected radio towers (a Chain Home radar station). No amount of effort
could get the engine started again. Then a serviceman had appeared at the gate
saying "What's up mate?" On being told that the engine wouldn't work,
he said "Wait a minute!" and went into a hut. Upon returning, he said "Try
it again," whereupon the engine started at once.

I solemnly assure you that I personally heard that from the man, who had
actually got it direct from the lorry driver involved. Years later I assumed it
was just one of many disinformation yarns invented to confuse and obscure the
function of the new secret RDF (radar), and maybe the man-in-the-pub was a
British agent posing as a lorry driver.

Now the strange thing is that there was some truth in the story.
Dr.R.V.Jones in his book, MOST SECRET WAR, tells how an identical rumour had
circulated around a radio installation in the Harz mountains of Germany. He
enquired to find some facts, and it seemed that when field strength measurements
were being made, traffic would be halted to stop interference from ignition
systems. The authorities would post sentries to stop vehicles from passing
through the critical area at given times, and then at the end of each short
measurement period, the guards would tell the drivers that they could start and
continue on their way.

The facts became garbled in the retelling, giving the impression that the
radio beams had stopped the car engine. Dr.Jones decided to plant the same
rumour in Britain, to see if it would puzzle the Germans in return. From
numerous reports he got later, it certainly spread throughout the UK, and I can
confirm that I heard it as related above.

Hi! I was reading your web pages with great interest.I
was a ground radar mechanic (LMECHAD) at Hopton in the mid/late 90's and
witnessed our radar causing a modern tractor to go ballistic. Apparently when
our beam passed the tractor ( a large Deutz ) it upset the computer-controlled
plough.— Ed Beer

GREMLINS

Originally an aeroplane was a physical machine that could be observed with
some degree of understanding. Admittedly ignition and lighting were electrical,
but familiarity with cars and domestic lighting meant that this could be
accepted. Any airborne wireless equipment was also very basic, and hardly more
complex than a domestic wireless receiver.

In the late 1930's, new VHF radios contained more thermionic valves, which
increased the chance of a defect, and often had motor-driven tuning which could
jam. Radar equipment probably had several times more valves, plus a cathode ray
tube, which further increased the chance of failure.

Since the working of electronic equipment cannot be seen directly, radar and
fault diagnosis was regarded as a mysterious black art, and the technicians were
seen as clever masters of it. Valves had yet to be ruggedised so they
were quite prone to failure through mechanical or thermionic shock. When failure
occurred at an inopportune time, due to an unidentified cause, mischievous imps
known as "gremlins" were blamed.

Who coined the word isn't known, but it became universally used throughout
the RAF. These spiritual beings were possibly the last to join a long line of
elves, pixies, goblins, brownies, trolls, leprechauns, etc. conjured up to
explain changes for good and ill in the domestic and natural world.

WOT NO RESPECT?

During the 1920's and '30's wireless could be taught with sketches of waves,
without needing to mention that mathematically they were SINUSOIDAL. With the
advent of RDF (radar) it was helpful to explain that PULSE and SAWTOOTH
waveforms could be analysed into SINUSOIDAL components.

Explanation was assisted by first synthesising a SQUARE waveform, and at one
training school the instructor left the diagram on the blackboard. The trainees
quickly adapted it into a face peering over a wall or fence.

Legend has it that the face was first nicknamed "Domie" or "Doomie"
and it started to appear everywhere that there was graffiti, especially on the
walls of lavatories.

Legend also has it that this happened at RAF Yatesbury (Wiltshire) where the
Wing Warrant Officer, a Mr. Chadwick, threatened to remove the lavatory
doors if the scrawling of graffitti didn't cease. It didn't, but the face was
now accompanied by the question "Wot no doors?" Soon the face
became known simply as "Chad" after Mr.Chadwick, always
commenting with a question in the form "WOT NO whatever?"

The character continued to appear on many walls along with other graffiti,
and got into the newspapers, which spread the image far and wide. Sixty years
later, he still appears from time to time. There is some artistic variation due
to copyists not knowing or understanding the origin.

NIGHT VISION?

A few night fighter pilots appeared to be very successful at engaging
attacking bombers. There were embarrassing enquiries from newspaper reporters,
especially about John Cunningham, one of the first pilots to use Airborne
Interception radar. It was therefore decided that it should be explained by
saying that he had extra sensitive night vision, and he was nicknamed 'Cats-Eyes
Cunningham'.

I can also remember seeing a picture in the newspaper showing a night
fighter pilot resting in daylight with dark glasses, white stick, and guide dog.
The blurb below stated that he was also on a carrot-rich diet to improve his
vision to shoot down enemy bombers in darkness. Even as a child I was puzzled by
this one. However, it was another ploy to cover the successful use of Airborne
Interception radar.

H2S — A SECRET SMELL

H2S was to be an airborne radar giving a map
of the ground below an aircraft. At an early technical meeting it was referred
to as "TF" which someone quickly divined as meaning something like "Town
Finder." The Chairman immediately "blew his top" at such a lax
title from the point of view of secrecy, and shouted "It stinks! It stinks!
I want a new title by the end of the meeting."

Well, no one thought much about it over lunch, then in the afternoon the
Chairman demanded the new title — silence — the Chairman became irate
again. Someone remembered his cry of "It stinks!" and quickly thought
of the well-known stink, hydrogen sulphide (the smell of bad eggs), and
said "What about H2S, Sir?""Where
does that come from?"Another quick think, and "Home Sweet
Home, Sir! — two H's and an S."The Chairman was mollified and
accepted the suggestion.

Now H2S used the new cavity magnetron generating a
wavelength of 10 cm which happened to be in a radio waveband labelled "S".
Later the Americans scaled down the magnetron to generate 3 cm wavelength —
which was in the "X" band — and built a new version of the
equipment. Assuming incorrectly that the "S" in H2S
indicated the operating band, they called it "H2X".

SANITARY & PHANTASTIC

Dr. F.C.Williams was a young wartime radar boffin. He was well known for his
straggly breadboard circuits which often left the board, trailed across the
bench, and over the edge. He was also known to comment on circuits with "Oh!
Very sanitary!" or "Phantastic!"

In those days, time bases and the delay of pulses tended to depend on an
exponential rundown due to the simple RC arrangements used. He worked on
linearising the rundown to improve stability, by using "Miller"
feedback. His pulse-stretching circuit using 2 pentodes + 2 diodes was named the
very sanitary
Sanatron and the single pentode version became the phantastic Phantastron.